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Community, volunteers help Iowa farm family recover from EF-4 tornado

Pictured: Iowa farmer Clint Whetstine

Community members and volunteers have been coming to the aid of an eastern Iowa family after a tornado recently decimated their farm.

“We got hit by an EF-4 (tornado) on March 31^st,” said Clint Whetstine, a second-generation farmer from Wellman. “Two of the three farmsteads got leveled.”

He tells Brownfield the storm destroyed farm buildings and equipment. He says livestock were also impacted.

“The old cows just didn’t have anywhere to go until the fence went down. We lost probably 12-14 head of mono cows. In the monoslope barn I think we lost about 13 head of fat cattle.”

Whetstine says his hog barns were leveled and he lost about 45 head. “A producer that had just retired from hogs in a community south of here about 10 miles offered his facilities to move them into.”

He says his family has been thankful for the support from the community as they continue rebuilding their operation.

“We got to keep moving forward. Farming is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do. I’m in it for the long haul.”

The Whetstine’s have also received recovery assistance from Farm Rescue, a non-profit that helps farmers and ranchers who have experienced a major illness, injury, or natural disaster.